Channeling-machine.



H. H. MERCER.

CHANNELING MACHINE, APPLICATION FILED JUNE 17. 1912.

1 ,"269396. Patented June 11, 1918.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY I-I. MERCER, 0F GLAREMONT, NEW HAMPSHIRE, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO SULLIVAN MACHINERY COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A COR- PORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

CHANNELING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 11, 1918.

Application filed June 17, 1912. Serial No. 704,053.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY H. MERCER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Claremont, county of Sullivan, State of New Hampshire, (whose post-oflice address is Claremont, New Hampshire,) have invented an Improvement in Channeling-Machines, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to channeling machines and more particularly to track channeling machines. Its object is to provide means for making a quick adjustment of the channeling tool from one side of the track to the other so that, without the necessity of shifting the trackway itself, a second channeling groove parallel to the first can be cut in the stone. The trackway for a channeling machine is formed of connected sections composed each of united parallel rails, the sections being laid to form a con tinuous straightaway trackway.

The labor of shifting such a trackway forms a very large proportion of the labor required in the channeling operation. This is especially the case with modern high powered channeling machines where the machines and, consequently the trackway, are very heavy and cumbersome; and is also especially the case in channeling relatively soft stone where the cut is quickly made, while the shifting of the trackway requires the same amount of time and labor.

The object of the present invention is to provide means whereby the channeling tool may be easily and expeditiously reversed in its relation to the trackway so that, after completing a channel groove at one side of the trackway, it may be caused at will to overhang the opposite side of the trackway and cut a second, parallel channel groove thereat. The number of times the trackway must be shifted, blocked up, and placed in alinement is thereby reduced *one-half, it being necessary to move the trackway once only for each two outs. This materially reduces the time and expense of the channeling operation.

This invention may be carried out in various ways, but as disclosed in the illustrative embodiment herein described the reversal of the channeling tool is obtained by turning the channeling machine upon a support so as to reverse its relation to the track way, and in the preferred form of the invention a short track section is reversible with reference to the trackway as a whole and sustains the channeler as the latter with the track section is turned about the support.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying illustration of one specific embodiment thereof, while its scope will be more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is an end elevation'of a typical form of channeling machine, shown in relation to a trackway;

Fig. 2 shows, in plan, the main frame or truck support of the channeling machine with the other parts removed, the said frame resting upon the reversible track section re ferred to;

Fig. 3 shows the reversible track section in a partially turned position;

Fig. 4 is a vertical section on the line 44 in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a vertical section on the line 55 in Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a detail horizontal section showing the roller supports; and

Fig. 7 illustrates a modification.

The invention may be used in connection with any ordinary form of track channeler, such for example as that shown in U. S. patent to Ball N 0. 555,633. In the drawings I have shown a self-propelled track channeler of the general construction illustrated in U. S. Patent No. 1,149,075, granted to me August 3, 1915. As illustrated by the drawings, such channeler has the truck wheels 7 and supporting main frame or truck support 8. The latter carries the boiler 9, the propelling and tool-feeding engine 10, and tool supporting standard 11, the latter adaptedto be adjusted to either end of the truck upon the trunnion shaft 12, or to be tilted to different inclined positions thereon. The standard carries a sliding frame including a pressure-fluid engine having the cylinder 13 and the attached cross head guides 14:, the latter guiding the cross head 15 connected to the tool gang 16 and also attached to the piston rod 17. The

feeding mechanism uponthe truck.

The truck wheels are adapted to move along the rails 23, the opposite rails being connected bytiemembers such as 24 (see Fig. 3) into sectional lengths, and a continuous length of trackway being laid for the ohannelerto travel upon by connecting a successi'on of track sections. In order to re- I verse the relation of the channeling tool to thetrackway for cutting asecond, parallel groove, a member is provided bearing a fixed relation to opposite sides of the trackway, on which member the channeler is adapted to be turnedgpand in the preferred form a track section is provided in the trackway which is also capable of turninginto a reverse position on said member, thechanneler, when reversely turned be ng, caused to rest upon and to be turned with said reversible track section.

Referring to the drawings, and particularly to Fig. 3, there is provided in some portion of the length of the trackway, and herein intermediate the track sections 25 and.

26, a reversible track section which has the opposite rails 28 and 29'connected by the )transverse angle irons 30 and: 31. This framework section composed of the rails and angle irons also has rigidly attached thereto a ring support 32 having a double angle or approximately Z-shaped cross section (Fig. 5), this ring being rigidly secured to the rails 28 and 29 by brackets 33, and to the i an le irons 30 and 31 by brackets 34.

his track section is reversible with its supporting ring upon an-underlying support, Which may be of any suitable nature 7 but herein consists of an underlying ring 35 -.of L-shaped cross section and of approximately the same diameter as the diameter of the ring 32, resting in fixed position upon the quarry bottom or upon suitable blocking thereon. Roller supports, or other suitab e means for reducing friction, are referabl interposed between the fixed ring 35 an the overlying flange of: the turning ring 32. Roller supports of any suitable construction may be provided, but herein (Fig.

4) they consist of a suitable number of roll- 60 ers-36 resting upon the flange ofthe ring 35 and sustaining the ring 32. These may be distributed about .the circumference of the ring, and when the track section is turned they .move freely around the channel proi -e be w e th W gs. E c rolle with the track section to rest entirely upon tained within the channel space between the rings (Figs. 4 and '6). The bands 88 and 39 are united at intervalsby blocks 40,-formin thereby a cage for the rollers, and, mounte in the blocks intermediate certain of the rollers 36, other rollers 41 are provided (Fig. 5) each of which works about a vertical pintle ,42 and engages the side walls of the ring to take the lateral thrust and friction. Each pintle 42 is carried in the block 40 fixed betweenthe two bands 38 and 39., There is thus provided a roller bearin cage carrying both vertical and horizontai l rollers interposed between the two rings. The supporting ringf32 having a large diameter,very nearly that of the track and the channeler,-the track section may be turned readily. and with relatively slight effort, even when sustaining the weight of the heavy channeling machine.

When the track is secured in position, the usual blocks or skids 44 and 45 are placed under different portions of the. trackwlay to level or aline it. Separate blocks 44 and 45 (Fig. 2) are placed under the reversible track section and the fixed rin 35, respectively. The channeling machlne with its D5 tool gang overhanging one side of the track way having been traversed back and forth the length of the trackway-a sufiicient number of times to cut the groove to the required depth, and it being required'to' cut the next adjacent parallel groove, .the channeler is runv upon the reversible track section "described and the blocks 44 withdrawn from under the same, thus causing the channeler the fixed ring 35 and the interposed roller supports. The channeler and the track section are then turned through 180 to cause the tool gang to overhang the opposite side of the trackway, whereupon the blocking 44 is again replaced to hold the reversible track section in fixed alinement in its new posi- Y tion with the adjacent sections of the main trackway. This reversal of the channeler gang can be effected in a very few minutes time, whereas the shifting of the entire trackway and, its readjustmentto its new position, as heretofore carried outyoften re quires the labor of several men for half a" day or more. a

In order that the reversible track section with its underlying supporting ring 35 may be lifted and transferred as a unit to a new 1 position, connecting means are preferably provided, such, for example, as the angle 1 clamps 4 6, which arebolted or otherwise. 30-. cured at intervals to the inside face of the upright flange of the rin 35, the upper outturned portions of the 0 amps overhanging the turning ring 32. When the weight'of the track section is caused to rest upon the rollers, sufficient clearance is provided between the clamps and the ring 32 to permit the free turning movement of the ring, but, when the track section is lifted, the ring 32 supports and lifts with it the underlying ring 35 through the medium of the clamps.

Any suitable means may be provided for preserving the rectilinear continuity of the rails at the joint between the reversible track section and the adjacent sections. In Fig. 2' the ends of the adjacent rails are shown cut in a transverse plane and an intermediate removable rail section 47 provided, which latter can be withdrawn when it is required to turn the reversible track section, or some equivalent construction may be employed, such as that shown in Fig. 7, wherein the joint between the rails 28 and 29 and the adjacent rails is shown as following approximately the arc of a circle drawn with the center of the ring 35 as a center, so that the track section when freed by withdrawing its blocking can be turned in either direction.

The arrangement herein described can also be usefully employed where it is re quired to turn the channeling machine through less or more than 180, as, for example, where it is desired to turn the channeler through 90 only and put in a head out, or where it is required to transfer the channeler to a section of trackway inclined to the trackway on which it is supported.

It will be obvious that while I have herein shown and described my invention as applied to one specific form of channeler, it is applicable to other types of stone cutting machines. Furthermore, while it is here illustrated as embodied in one concrete and specific form, it is to be understood that extensive deviations may be made from the illustrative form and constructional details shown without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Claims.

1. The combination with a track channeling machine having a truck adapted to be moved along a trackway upon the quarry bottom and having also a tool adapted to overhang one side of the trackway, of a trackway on which the channeling machine may be traversed, and means including a reversible track section on which the channeler may be turned into reverse relation with said trackway.

2. The combination with a channeling machine having a truck and a channeling tool, of a trackway along which the truck is adapted to be moved, said trackway being composed of connected sections, a r'e versible track section, and means on which the said section may be turned to reverse the relation of the channeling machine when carried thereby.

3. The combination with a channeling machine having a truck and an overhanging tool gang, of a trackway having a reversible track section, and means fixed with re lation to opposite sides of the trackway on which the said section may be turned.

4. The combination with a channeling machine having a truck and an overhanging tool gang, of a trackway, and means located within the trackway on which the truck may be turned to reverse the relation of the tool gang to the trackway.

5. The combination with a channeling machine having a truck and an overhanging tool gang, of a trackway, and a support fixed within the trackway on which the truck may be turned to reverse the relation of the channeling tool to the trackway.

6. The combination with a channeling machine having a truck and an overhanging tool gang, of a trackway, and a ring-like member fixed with relation to opposite sides of the trackway on which the truck may be turned to reverse the relation of the tool to the trackway.

7 The combination with a channeling machine having a truck and an overhanging. tool gang, of a trackway, a fixed ring-like support on said trackway, and means for supporting and turning said truck on said ring-like support to reverse the relation of the tool to the trackwav.

8. The combination with a channeling machine, of a trackway therefor composed of connected sections, the same including a reversible track section normally held in fixed alinement with said main trackway, and means on which said reversible section may be turned.

9. The combination with a channeling machine, of a trackway having a reversible track section, the same comprising frame work having a ring support, an underlying supporting member, and roller bearings interposed between said underlying member and said ring support.

10. The combination with a channeling machine, of a trackway therefor, the same including a reversible track section compris ing connected rails and an intervening ring support, an underlying ringsupporting member, and roller bearings interposed between the two.

ll. The combination with a channeling machine, of a portable trackway therefor having connected track sections and reversible track sections, the latter comprising opposite rail members with intermediate connections including a supporting member, an underlying supporting member adapted to remain in fixed position and support said track section when the latter is turned, and means sustaining said underlying supporting member on said section when the latter is lifted for transportation.

12. The combination with a channeling 7; machine, of a portable trackway therefor having connected track sections and reversi I ble track sections, the latter comprising opposite rail members with intermediate connections including a supporting member, an

underlying supporting member adapted to remain in fixed position and support said track section when the latter is turned, and

. i 10. vertical and lateral roller members interposedsbetween said supporting and under- HENRY H; MERCER.

Witnesses:

M. A, RICE, IRENE KELLEY.

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' Wuhington, D. c." 

